As Strong as Death
by Anath Tsurugi
Summary: Charles wasn't the only one who had a chance to speak with his future self. (DoFP spoilers, Cherik)


(A/N) And thus does the mistress of the double-edged blade finally emerge from her cave of hiatus with a little Cherik in response to Days of Future Past. Do please enjoy.

**As Strong as Death**

Erik was so intent on lacing the metal through the prototype Sentinels, he didn't at first notice the pinprick of power against his mind. When he did finally feel it, his thoughts went directly to Charles. Who else would be trying to contact him, after all?

_Whatever it is, Charles, I don't want to talk. You've made yourself quite clear already. If you don't mind, I'm a little busy trying to secure our future,_ he thought very pointedly as he looped a metal strand intricately among the bundles of polymer.

_Well, last time I checked, my name wasn't Charles, but it would be an honor to be mistaken for him just the same._

When he felt the unfamiliar voice move through him, Erik instantly fell still. He didn't recognize this voice…but at the same time, he found himself intimately familiar with it.

_Who are you? _he asked as the world around him faded away.

_I'm __**you,**__ Erik. We are the same,_ the other consciousness answered, strong and insistent as it pulled him forward through the darkness. Slowly, images began to take shape from the shadows, but with no more substantiality than a blurred image in a bad picture. There were people he didn't recognize…and one whom he thought could be the man from the future…Logan.

Charles he knew right away, despite the changes the years had wrought. He would know Charles anywhere, anytime. He would always recognize those eyes…the eyes he'd fallen into ten years ago…fallen in _love_ with. No. No matter how much time or distance was placed between them, he would never _not_ know Charles Xavier.

The man standing at Charles' side was a bit more of a riddle to him, though. On some level, he did understand that he was seeing his future self, but there was a sorrow and desperation about this old man that he couldn't comprehend. In a way, he seemed almost helpless…and he had sworn he would never allow himself to be that helpless again. What was it that had brought this man so low?

It wasn't just desperation that he saw, though. The other thing he couldn't comprehend was the closeness between Charles and this man he would become. Certainly he knew he would always love Charles…love him with everything he was…but Charles had made it quite plain that he would never again allow himself to return that love. As he knew Charles now, the telepath would never allow himself to understand that everything Erik did…he did for _him._

_This_ Charles, though…seemed almost _comforted_ to have Erik at his side. The metal kine's hand rested easily on the telepath's shoulder, and he couldn't be sure if it was wishful thinking, but they seemed to almost lean into each other at the point of contact.

_It isn't wishful thinking,_ his older self reassured him as their eyes met. _We are very much together,_ he told him, a spark that could have almost been amusement in his eyes.

_I am my beloved's…and he is mine._

There were some hundred questions zipping about the younger metal kine's mind, but the one that finally managed to break through was…_what is this? What's happening?_

_We're connecting, Erik._

_But __**how?**__ I don't understand._

_Well, Charles is even now connecting with his own younger self…__**your**__ Charles…and he and I share a psychic bond. Whatever one of us experiences, so too will the other, and it seems their moment of connection has somehow allowed us to connect as well. Believe me, my young fellow, I'm just as surprised as you are,_ he said, though his tone still carried more of amusement than anything else.

_How did this happen?_

_I…believe Logan's given you most of the details._

_Not this. I don't mean how did this __**world**__ happen; I mean…how are you and he…Charles and I…how are we together? He would never forgive me for what happened._

_Well…death has a curious way of reshuffling one's perspectives._

_Death? What are you __**talking**__ about? _he demanded, feeling fear grip his heart when he felt the ache in his older counterpart's soul…and in fragments and shattered moments, he felt the death of the only man he'd ever loved…then his own fall…and somehow…the miracle of their return. Erik would never be completely certain how Charles had saved himself, but he didn't really care. All that mattered to him was that he had him back…just in time for the world to go to hell. When the younger metal kine came back to himself, he could feel the tears on his face, his heart breaking afresh along with the elder's.

_So it all came to nothing…everything I tried to do for him. In the end…I'll lose him anyway._

_Not if we can accomplish what we set out to do._

_But we failed. They ended up with Raven's blood anyway,_ he said, his heart full of bitterness at the thought of what he'd had to do. Raven was a wonderful girl…but she wasn't Charles. Always in his life, it seemed it would be a choice between the lesser of two evils.

_No, you didn't fail. You did what you thought was right…even if you are a foolish boy with no foresight._

_Listen here, old man-_

_It's true and you __**know**__ it. You don't think beyond the moment and you don't understand the consequences of your actions. Believe me, Erik, I understand why you do what you do. Who would know better than I? I know you do it all for him…even if he can't accept that…but what have your actions made better? You tried to protect Charles ten years ago. What was the result? _

_I hurt him,_ he answered, shuddering at the memory of the look of hurt in those beautiful crystal blue eyes. _I lost him._

_Yes, you did. What has all this senseless killing ever truly made better? I often think that Shaw's worst victory…was that he managed to turn me into him._

_That's not true!_ the younger metal kine insisted vehemently.

_It isn't? How many mothers have __**you**__ killed? Fathers, brothers, sisters, children: how many, Erik Lehnsherr? _

_Humans,_ he snapped.

_People. Mother was a human. Have you grown so blind with hate that you really don't see it?_

_And have __**you**__ grown so soft in your dark little world that you no longer want to __**end**__ those responsible? _he fired back.

_You know…that might have made me angry a long time ago,_ the older metal kine returned, undeniable amusement flowing off him in waves. _No longer. Too many have died…and now Charles will die, too…if we cannot change this wretched world. If nothing else…will you not act to save Charles Xavier?_

Begging, Erik realized…the old man was begging him. Magneto would never beg…save for one thing…the only thing that had ever mattered. Charles Xavier. Aloud, he claimed that what he did was for the good of all mutant kind, but really…there was only one person he fought for…only one he wanted to protect…one he wanted to keep from knowing the horrors he himself had experienced…and even in this he had failed, as he had failed at everything else. Even though he was somehow walking, when he'd gazed into Charles' eyes for the first time in ten years, he didn't need the other man's gifts to see how he had suffered. Despite his best intentions…it seemed that all he could do was hurt Charles.

_It's too late,_ he said softly, gaze moving down to Charles…still so very much in love with him in spite of everything…in spite of what he'd _done._ _It's already beginning. It may be even worse now…if the program begins this early._

_Nonsense, boy. I told Logan you could help and you still can. Perhaps you'd be willing to give Charles' idea a try this time._

_What do you mean?_

_He said it that day…be the better man. _

_And how do I do that? It's too late to go back. If I just let these things go, a lot of mutants will die,_ he pointed out, still faintly feeling the metal strands tingling at his fingertips in his own time.

_That's true. It's too late for __**you**__ to be the better man…but perhaps you might give someone else the chance to be,_ the elder suggested, a plan starting to come together in his mind.

_What do you mean? _he asked, catching only fragments of what his counterpart was thinking.

_Well…surely you're expecting them to try and stop you. All I'm saying is…let them. Show the world a mutant standing up to a threat…you._

The younger mutant let out a bark of bitter laughter at this. _Charles thought that would work ten years ago. It didn't. The humans still turned on us. Have you really forgotten that?_

_I remember. I remember I had a chance to lay down my arms. I didn't do it. You can't imagine how much you will regret that decision if you follow your present course. _

_I don't __**do**__ regret. Are you certain you're me? _he asked, even though he knew the words were a lie…and of course, the old man called him on it.

_Lying to yourself, Lehnsherr? How many times have you done that since leaving him lying broken on the sand…telling yourself you didn't need him…that you would both be better off going your separate ways? __**Stop**__ lying to yourself. You __**do**__ need him. You need him in order to live, and he needs you just as much. I won't let you make the same mistake again, Erik. _

_**Let**__ me? What exactly can you do?_

_I am my beloved's…and he is mine,_ the older mutant repeated his words from earlier, forcing a memory against the younger's mind…the first time he'd pressed his lips against Charles'…the sweet taste of him…

_Stop that! _he snarled at his elder, turning away from the memory with shame in his heart. _I will have grown senile indeed if I'm to take up quoting the Tanakh in the future._

_Not the Tanakh…only one song: The Song of Songs. I found him whom my __**soul**__ loves. I held him and would not let him go. _These words were accompanied by a memory of the older pair embracing…pressed intimately together.

_No! Stop! Leave me alone!_ he shouted, trying to keep the touch of his older self's joy from his heart. _Don't show me something that can never be mine!_

_He is altogether lovely,_ the older metal kine pressed harshly, memories of Charles flashing through the younger's head, down through the years, until he was the age Erik had first met him…first fallen in love with him.

_This is my beloved…and this is my friend,_ he couldn't quite help whispering back, pain splintering through his soul like the spidery cracks along a piece of glass about to shatter into a million pieces. _Please…don't do this._

Then, once again…Charles' death…his feelings of grief and guilt…his own wish for death. He really might have just killed himself if the telepath hadn't found a way to reach out to him. As had always been the case in the past, only Charles could save him.

_Set me as a seal upon your heart, for love is as strong as death,_ the elder mutant declared, allowing all of the love that was in him to pass to his younger self. Even in his darkest days, the aspect that had defined him was his love for Charles. If this couldn't convince him, nothing would.

For his part, the younger felt the emotion break over him like a tidal wave, resonating perfectly with his own heart. It all boiled down to one moment…Charles saving him from drowning…pulling him back from the abyss…telling him he wasn't alone.

_It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame,_ he returned as he allowed the staggering emotion to overwhelm him, longing more than ever to hold the telepath again…to _apologize._

_Many waters cannot quench love, nor can floods drown it,_ the elder finished, finally releasing his younger self from the crush of his own memory.

_For love…is as strong as death,_ Erik repeated meekly. _So what would you have me do?_

_Simply be who you are…who they __**need**__ you to be…whether or not they know it. The rest will come._

_All right, old man. You'd __**better**__ be right about this,_ he snapped at him, struggling to overcome his momentary lapse in control. What else could he do? He was Magneto, after all.

_Oh, I am, boy. You won't regret it. You'll see._

With that, Erik found himself released from the familiar stranger of a mind and right back to where he'd been when it had begun: threading metal into polymer.

Well…no time to waste.

He wasn't really sure why he went to retrieve the helmet. At this point, he would have almost preferred it for Charles to be able to stop him…except maybe…maybe he just didn't want to know what his only friend would really think in these last moments. Just because he had seen what lay ahead didn't mean he really believed he and Charles could ever be those people…those two men so devoted and loving…so far beyond the world that had tried to destroy them…

He was only really aware of what he was doing insofar as he searched for a moment to let what needed to happen happen. That moment came when he recognized Raven, even beneath the protection of her mutation. She'd gotten good, but she wasn't perfect at mimicking behavior. He would know that stance anywhere. So, as his older self had planned it, he allowed it to happen…allowed her to take him down…and just like that, a mutant was a hero.

Part of him wished that Raven had just killed him. It would have been no more than he deserved…especially when Charles was suddenly in his head again after so long…and he saw what had almost happened to him…what _he_ had almost done.

_Again…again…it's my fault again._

_Kill me,_ he pleaded before Charles had the chance to pull back from him. _Please…kill me…for what I've done to you._

He didn't need to see the look on Charles' face. He could feel the pain and the shock brush against his own mind. There was still anger…of course there was…but unless he was already dead and dreaming of what could have been, there was still love, as well.

_Set me as a seal upon your heart…for love is as strong as death. _Charles' voice was like a balm against his own thoughts as the memory of them flowed between their hearts, and in those few fleeting moments, they both caught a taste of the love they would still feel so many years in the future.

_Many waters cannot quench love, nor can floods drown it,_ he returned, feeling the faintest of caresses against his mind…like before. _I love you. I will always love you._

"Go," Charles whispered. He wasn't ready to forgive, but it seemed he wasn't going to let him die either…and as the fugitive Magneto made his escape, he couldn't help but feel that…maybe there _was_ hope. It had been so long since he'd felt that.

_Maybe you were right after all, old man._

XxX


End file.
